Footsteps
by Deandra
Summary: Eomer and his son have something in common. Fluffy little ONESHOT. Part 45 of the Elfwine Chronicles.


_**Part 45 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes.**_

_**A/N: Yeah, I know - it's been awhile. I've been mentally bogged down and haven't been able to make much progress on any given story, so I've jumped around adding tidbits to several of them. Consequently, nothing is very near finished. Anyway, the kids at church put on a program today and that got me going enough to write this story that's been floating in my mind for awhile. Not much plot; just a little "feel good" glimpse at our favorite family. I also have another idea that I may get written up in the near future - but don't hold your breath!**_

**Footsteps**

**(Sep, 10 IV)**

The festival had been underway for over an hour, and already Lothiriel found herself in difficulty. For events such as this, she and Eomer preferred to attend as a family, and so Daelwyn, the childrens' nurse, was not helping her.

Just about the time Theomund began squalling with hunger, her two-year-old, Theodwyn, decided she was in need of maternal attention. Lothiriel was seated at a table, wrestling with the two children when Eomer appeared at her side. He had noticed, from where he had been standing conversing with some of the men, the demands being put on his wife and had hurried to assist her.

Scooping Theodwyn up in his arms, he said, "Theodwyn, will you come and keep Papa company for awhile?" Delighted, the little girl giggled and hugged his neck in affirmation, and Eomer winked at his wife who was smiling at him with gratitude. Eomer strode away and Lothiriel moved toward a tent that was set up for mothers to suckle their children.

A few tickles, an occasional word and Eomer was able to keep his young daughter amused even as he continued talking to his friends, and at length she finally gave a huge yawn and fell asleep on his shoulder. He smiled down at her as he noticed the absence of her chatter, and rubbed her back to help her continue in slumber.

When she awoke some while later, Theodwyn lay there sleepily for a time and then reached for the tankard her father was holding, "Dirsty, Papa. Dirsty!"

Grinning he held it out of her reach, "Not that, little one! I will find you something more suitable to drink than ale!" She wriggled and squirmed, trying to get to his drink until a woman nearby, who had overheard, handed him a cup.

"Here is some apple juice, my lord," she offered.

"Thank you!" he acknowledged, setting down the tankard to take the cup and help Theodwyn drink from it. Her eagerness and squirming meant she soon had quite a bit of it down the front of her and Eomer, but apparently she got enough inside to satisfy her.

Just then, it was time for Eomer to make a speech to the assembly, and he made his way to the raised platform prepared for his use.

Off to the side, Elfwine stood with several other boys. All were admiring the new knife Freawine had received, but at the sound of his father's voice, Elfwine turned to listen. His friends glanced up, but speeches were of no interest to them, even ones given by the king.

Theodwyn was delighted to be looking down on all those people. However, her talking and wriggling in his arms was rapidly proving disruptive to Eomer's speech. He continued to grapple with Theodwyn as Lothiriel appeared at the back of the audience. Even though he saw her, Eomer did not feel he could foist their daughter off on her while she was tending the baby, so he continued his struggle, valiantly trying not to lose his train of thought.

Just when he was ready to hand Theodwyn to anyone who would take her, someone appeared at his side. He looked down to find Elfwine standing there, his arms outstretched to his sister. "Theodwyn, come with me," the boy wheedled.

Gleefully, Theodwyn almost leapt out of Eomer's arms towards her beloved brother, squealing with delight. Eomer ruffled Elfwine's hair in gratitude before the boy carried Theodwyn away, and then resumed his speech.

Lothiriel watched her family's interactions unfold before her and could not restrain a joyous tear. Yes, Elfwine was a fine son, and just as he would one day follow in his father's footsteps as king, already he was doing so in his behavior. She hugged the baby closer and smiled with contentment.

THE END

10-30-05

**_End note: It is not essential that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written, but there is an advantage to doing so. The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order, but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content._**


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